Touching the Sky: Chimney Sweepers in Tatjana Lind’s Series

How many generations can a dynasty of chimney sweepers have and how do the chimney sweepers see their job — Estonian photographer Tatjana Lind travels around the world and photographs ‘black brothers and sisters’.

Tatjana Lind

Photographer, was born in Moscow, now lives in Tallinn. Graduated from a Photojournalism course at the Journalism Department at Lomonosov State Moscow University (Moscow, Russia). Works on documentary projects. She participated in various photo exhibitions, won several awards and nominations.

— While working on the project on chimney sweepers, I accompanied them almost everywhere — during their work in apartment buildings and private houses, at lunches, holidays and parades, meetings and training events. The work of a chimney sweeper is really hard, requiring special skills and proficiency, and sometimes it even happens to be harmful and dangerous.

The chimney sweeps call themselves ‘black brothers and sisters’, because when they work they are really black. However, I can say with certainty that chimney sweepers are ‘white’ inside: a chimney sweeper brings a lot of positivity, warmth, and joy to every home. As they themselves say — the chimney sweeper is the closest to God; climbing the roof they touch the sky. Therefore, there is a belief that if you rub a button of a chimney sweeper, your wish will come true.

Chimney sweeper going inside a house located not far from Tallinn (Estonia).

Leo has been working as a chimney sweeper for almost half a century. Despite his age, Leo easily climbs the roof, and rejoices sincerely that he can help people. He always carries a happy button with him to give it to any passerby.

Sami works as a chimney sweeper in the town of Naantali in Finland. He was unemployed, a family friend offered him a job as a chimney sweeper for awhile. Since then, Sami has been cleaning chimneys for 22 years. He knows all the town residents by name. Cleaning chimneys in the old houses, Sami proudly tells us that two hundred years ago his predecessor did it and all these old fireplaces are still working. Sami considers himself a very happy person: being two meters tall he can easily reach the sky while working on the roof.

When Janne was a kid, his father used to take him to work. Janne first went to study engineering, then he wanted to become an entrepreneur. In the end, he still chose the profession of a chimney sweeper. Janne is a typical Finnish chimney sweeper, a bit brooding and silent and, at the same time, open and always helpful.

Hillimar is an Estonian. He has been working as a chimney sweeper for more than 7 years. Hillimar is a chimney sweeper of some unusual appearance: he has an interesting profile, thin, works very quickly and deftly.

The tool of chimney sweepers.

It all began in 2011 when I met Estonian chimney sweepers, then my heroes became Latvian and Finnish chimney sweepers. I photographed German, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, and Italian chimney sweepers. They are in my collection photos of chimney sweepers from Japan and the USA.

Juhan works in Estonia. He is the most open and kind man I've ever met. Funny stories always happen to him. One day we went to the grocery store after work. Seeing Juhan, a young woman who worked there, began to shout words of gratitude to him for the fact that she finally got pregnant. The chimney sweeper was embarrassed, blushed, and tried to explain that it wasn't him personally, she just rubbed his button and the superstition came true.

Madis and Indro are in client’s house on the island of Saaremaa (Estonia). Madis is one of the oldest chimney sweepers in Estonia. He first got permission to work as a chimney sweeper in 1966. His youngest son Indro followed his in his footsteps.

Estonian & Latvian chimney sweepers in Rakvere (Estonia).

Latvian chimney sweeper Guntis. Soot can be washed off with cold water only. If you wash it with warm water, pores open, and the soot penetrates into the skin.

Latvian chimney sweepers in Talsi (Latvia). Latvia has its own guild of chimney sweepers. Many of them continue their ancestors’ work.

Latvian chimney sweepers in Talsi (Latvia).

Takao is a Japanese chimney sweeper, working in the Nagano area, which hosted the winter Olympic games in 1998. He believes this work is interesting and even creative. Takao likes to look at the scenery from the height of Japanese houses roofs.

Marco has been working as a chimney sweeper in Saxony for over 12 years. He considers the profession of a chimney sweeper traditional and safe. "The human mind is never so clear as when he has found his work" – Marco likes to quote Wilhelm von Humboldt.

Dino is an Italian chimney sweeper working in the area of Vicenza. He jokes that he chose the profession because he likes the color black.

Niklaus is a chimney sweeper from Switzerland, he has been working for over 30 years. The specifics of Nicklaus’ work is cleaning fireplaces from the inside. He often gets inside using an old traditional method.

Jan is from Denmark. He has been wearing the black uniform of a chimney sweeper for more than 33 years and thinks it's the best job in the world. Jan is a hereditary chimney sweeper: along with his elder brother, he continues the work of his father and grandfather. His family has been in the chimney sweep business for over 100 years.

Ramon is a Dutch chimney sweeper, he has been working in Amsterdam for over 30 years. The first sweepers in his family started the business in 1840, and Ramon is the representative of the sixth generation of chimney sweepers. This is one of the oldest dynasties of chimney sweepers in the Netherlands.

Charlotte lives and works in Norway. She found out there is the chimney sweeper profession by accident and has been working for over 7 years now. In May 2017, Charlotte became a mom.

There are women among the chimney sweepers, too — although this is considered a male profession. In Estonia they are few, but in Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Germany female chimney sweepers work on an equal footing with men. Riikka works in Rauma in Western Finland.

Kalle has been working as a chimney sweeper in the area of Hollola in Finland for 8 years.